Apple Valley, CA call us to schedule your January rose pruning schedule. Last year, we were not too busy, but this year, we already have quite a few who will have us prune their roses, so call us to get on the schedule, right away.
Ok, so your roses have pretty much stopped blooming right now. If you have perhaps ignored them a bit lately and not bothered to deadhead the bloom, you might have some of these little beauties, rose hips.
Rose hips (or rose heps) are the seed pods or fruit of roses. Some varieties have hips are larger or more colorful than others. They really add to the season of color one gets from roses and here in the desert, more color, especially in fall and winter is quite welcome.
Did you know that both rose petals and rose hips are edible? And roses are in the same family as apples so it is no wonder the rose hips resemble a small apple. Rose hips are high in vitamin C and kind of tart like a crabapple. Remember to only consume from plants that have not been treated with pesticides.
Rose hips also have been known to be beneficial in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis apparently due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. A small study was conducted of 74 Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who were followed for 6 months by Charite University Medical Centre in Berlin. Half of the group took rose hips and half used a placebo. In the group treated with rose hips, activity increased by 20-24% and the number of joints causing pain, decreased by 40% over the placebo group. And with their vitamin C content, rose hips are sometimes used to help prevent colds and flu.
Wait until after the first frost to harvest rose hips to discourage any unwanted new growth on your rose. Harvest firm, colorful fruits. Slice in half and remove the seeds as they are unpleasant to eat. The seeds have been know to be used to make itching powder. The best use for rose hips is to make a tea. Steep 4-8 fresh rose hips in one cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Use about half the rose hips when using dried rose hips.
Another new Composter meeting is scheduled. Just to let folks know about it. It is a fun and interesting “new” way to look at your garden.
Yes, the training is free!
There will be a Master Composter Training Class on Saturday, November 23 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Victorville City Hall, Conference Room D.
During the class, discussion will include backyard composting, vermicomposting (composting with worms), grasscycling, recycling, and becoming a Master Composter Volunteer.
Space is limited, so please RSVP by contacting Don Woo at MC_Coordinator@dnbvisions.com or 951-265-8699 to reserve or if you have any questions.
Since daylight savings time (yuck!) has passed, it’s time I remind all of you to not only change the batteries in your smoke alarms but also in your battery-operated sprinkler clocks. Get busy or you will soon see the results of your procrastination.
The best thing to do in October is plant! It is the best time of year to start your trees and shrubs.
And give your existing trees, lawns an shrubs a good feeding with fertilizer high in Phosphorus for healthy roots. That’s the number in the middle of the nutrient analysis. In a bag marked 16-6-8, It is the 6.
Look now for bargains on spring blooming bulbs. You should have ordered early from the bulb catalogues and there may be some good deals available through the catalogues or at your local nursery/ big box store.
Get your bulbs in the ground as soon as possible. December is too late. Plant the bulbs three times the depth of the bulb, water well, and Happy Spring!
Fertilize your roses and keep them well watered but don’t prune now. You should remove spent blooms though, because you will encourage some bonus blooms before the plant starts it’s winter stasis.
- My Favorite Recipes-Fall 2014 October 30, 2014Fall is for FOOTBALL! Football season means Sundays are casual. Have some soup and some chips and dip. Get your onion fix. Homemade Onion Dip ( no comparison to store bought) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ cups diced yellow onions ¼ tsp kosher salt 1 ½ cups sour cream ¾ cup […]
- The Drought is No Joke October 27, 2014The last few years have been crazy dry ones. California is solidly into drought territory now. Oh, I know, we toy with it every year. We hear the same old stuff like “fix leaks” (duh) , Take shorter showers” (awww) and ”Make every drop count” (YES!), and my favorite “If it is yellow, let it […]
- Trees are Valuable September 8, 2014Did you know that studies of comparable houses with and without trees place a markedly higher value on the homes whose yards are sheltered by trees? Trees help clean our air. Trees provide shade that can reduce air conditioning costs as much as 15%. So get planting! Fall is the best time.
- Fall is Coming Up, Just not yet. August 25, 2014By Cindy Poore Where did the time go? It is almost fall. I long for fall the way a kid longs for Christmas. (that’s just around the corner too!) Fall is my time. The time for shorter, hopefully cooler days. Time to regroup and plan that last frenzy of activity you just HAVE to […]
- Life Transistions and the Summer Garden July 7, 2014By Cindy Poore Yes, I know. You all have been wondering what has happened to our newsletter. No, you aren’t unsubscribed, as if that could happen. We have been wrapped up in a bittersweet time. Some of you may not know that Darrell and I have been helping a good friend who has […]
The P.L. Newsletter
